Means for selectively operating apparatus.



A; SCHMID.

MEANS FOR SELECTIVE LY OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4| I9I2.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916. I

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MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPUCATION FILED MAR. 4. I9I2.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

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A. SCHMID.

MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED M-AR. 4, I912.

- Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

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A. SCHMID. MEANS FORSELECTIVELY OPERATING APPARATUS.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 4 APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4 1912. 1,200,885.

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A. SCHMID.

MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING APPARATUS.-

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1912.

1,200,885. Patented Oct. 916.

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6 WM 6M1 A. SCHMID.

MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATlON FILED MAR. 4. 1912.

1 200 885, Patented 001. 10, 1916.

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MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1912. 1,200,885. Patented Oct. 1 16.

8 SHEETS-SHE A. SCHMID.

MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 1912.

1.2GQ885. Patent ed 0ct.10,1916.

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Witnesses: fnvenlor:

ARNOLD SCHMID, OF SOHAFFHAUSEN, SWITZERLAND.

mnens non sELncTIvELY OPERATING APPARATUS,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed March 4, 1912. Serial No. 681,555.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARNOLD SQHMID, a citizenof the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Schonau 7, Schaifhausen,Switzer- 5 land, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMeans for Selectively Operating Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to means for selectively operating one or severalof a plurality of systematically arrangedapparatus, as incandescentlamps, motors for instance such forimpelling sirens for signal purposes,electric horns, heating apparatus and the like.

My invention is especially adapted to be employed in advertisement bylight. Electric means of the type referred to have previouslybeenproposed in which the selection of incandescent lamps is performed bymeans of relays provided for each lamp which relays often are divided ingroups by diiferent pre-selector relays and connected to a centralcontact making apparatus by means of a large number of wires. The largenumber of relays and wires complicate much the whole system so that thesecurity of service is decreased.

The object of my invention is to diminish the number of connecting wiresbetween the apaparatus to be operated and the contact In ring apparatusat the central station so that if necessary the central station can bearranged at a distance from the apparatus to be switched withoutincreasing too much the costs of installation.

A further object of my invention is to.

diminish as much as possible the number of the operating relays whichhereinafter shall be referred to as change over relays. The

security of service and the simplicity of the the contact making device.

form of construction embodying my invention; Fig. 3 illustrates anotherform of construction. Fig. 4 illustrates an arrangement having atraveling carriage. Fig. 5 illustrates the structure illustrated in Fig.1 as connected to a three-wire system, either a three-wire directcurrent, or athree-wire single phase, or a two-phase three-wire, or athree phase system of electric distribution. Fig. (i'shows the sameconnected to a fourwire two-phase alternating current system, or to athree-phase alternating current system having a neutral wire. Fig. 7 isa modification of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a modification of Fig. 4.

The apparatus to be-operated are hereinafter described as incandescentlamps. But as stated above the lamps maybe replaced by any otherelectric apparatus consuming electric energy.

The auxiliary connections are represented in the drawings bydot anddash-lines and the main circuits by full lines. For the sake ofclearness the main circuits are shown in all figures as two wiresystems. Since all 30 apparatus are connected in multiple any desireddistribution system may be, used, as for example a three-wire directcurrent or singlepha'se, a two-phase three-wire or fourwire system and athree-phase system with 35 or without neutral wire. When simultaneouslyusing several phases in the first three described examples the contactmaking devices must be divided according to the number of phases asshown in Figs. 5 and 6, but other complications are not necessary. Inall figures the auxiliary circuits are connected to the main circuits.

The first illustrative embodiment is shown in Fig. 1 by way of example.The system comprises twelve lamps in connection with Each lamp isprovided with a double throw double pole switch mounted on the back ofits base, which switch is operated by a relay. These change over relays1 to 12 are diagrammatically shown on the drawing. The lamps areconnected to the pivotal?) of the switches. On the drawing all changeover relays are. shown in series with the corre- 1 05 spending lamps.The four terminals 14, 14' and 15, 15 of each change over relay areconnected by twos to an auxiliary circuit and to amain circuit( Thevertical auxiliary wires connected to the ill" a switch 33 on thecontact making device.

The contact making device arranged in the central station comprisesthe-contacts 16,18,

'19, 20 and 33.

The working of the system is as follows: If for instance the change overrelay 2 is to be actuated by repeated closing and opening the switch 33,the relay 31 is repeatedly excited until the contact brush 30 connectsthe contact piece 21 to the segment 29. When thereafter the contact 19is pressed against the plate 16 so that a circuit is closed-comprisingthe connection 26, the plate 16, the contact 19, the terminal 14, thelamp, the

coil and terminal 14: of relay 2, the contact piece 21, the contactbrush 30, the segment 29 and the connection 27. The change over relay 2changes its lamp and coil at once over to the main circuit so that theybecome independent from the auxiliary circuit. It

a second lamp is to be lighted for instance in the second. verticalrow'the relay 31 is excited by closing the switch 33 only once, whichrelay by its armature rotates the wheel 32 one tooth so that the brush30 makes contact with the piece 22; The contacts 18 to 20 correspondingto the change over relay is pressed against the plate 16 whe'reat'ter asimilar circuit is closed as described above. lln order to extinguishthe lamps the current is interrupted by means of the main switch 25 sothat all coils are without current and the apparatus are changed over tothe auxiliary circuit. After cutting in the switch 25 again the systemis ready for service. By suitably selecting the lamps of which anydesired number may be provided any desired picture or letters or wholesentences may be composed.

'llf very large lamp boards, especially such of almost quadrangularshape are used and it the lamp boards are arranged at large distancesfrom the central contact making device it will be advisable not only tolead the vertical auxiliary wires to a distributer as shown in Fig. 1,but also to insert a distributer between the horizontal auxiliary wiresand the contact making device, as shown in Fig. 7. The number ofconnections is hereby again decrease-d, whereby the costs of a long lineare greatly diminished. The three leads shown in Fig. 1 conducting tothe contacts 18 to 20 are replaced in this case by a single lead and acorresponding contact 19 which may be pressed against the plate 16. Aswitch 33 similar to the switch 33 is provided for actuating the seconddistributer 28. A. single Wire leads to a relay 31 for the operating ofthe second distributer switch 28 and back to the connection 27. Thisdistributer 28 has four contacts.

A single line leads from the contact 29 of the distributer 28 to thecontact 19, controlling said distributer. The three other contacts ofthe distributer 28 are connected to the terminals 14: of the lamps ofthe horizontal rows, one contact only belonging to a single horizontalrow. The operation of the second distributer is exactly the same as thatof the first distributer 28, already described.

A third illustrative embodiment is shown in Fig. 2. The arrangement ofthe relays. with the lamps and the construction of the central contactmaking device is the same as in Fig. l. The connections between the lampboard, the distributer and the contact making device and theconstruction of the distributer is changed. While according to Fig. 1only one contact 21 to 24 is provided so for each vertical row of lamps,in the example shown in Fig.2 a contact is provided for each, lamp, sothat there is provided a contact group 21 to 24: for each vertical rowof lamps. same number of contacts as the number of lamps in a verticalrow, that means three contacts in the example illustrated. The contactbrush 30 therefore is composed of three insulated bars which makecontact with three segments 29. The segments 29 are connected to thecontacts 18 to 20.

The terminals 1a of the relays 1 to 12 are connected with thecorresponding groups of contacts 21 to 24 of the distributer 28 as shownin Fig. 2, While all terminals 1% are connected to a common return linewhich is fed from the connection 27. The switching motion of thedistributer 28 is the same as in the first described example. Theoperation when selectively cutting in one of the relays 1 to 12 is alsosimilar as described in the first example, so that it is not necessaryto describe the operation again.

In the last described arrangement unadjusted relays can be used, whilein the first described arrangements the relays must always be adjustedaccording to the voltage of the system. If in Fig. 1 for example therelay 6 is cut in the relays 5, 8 and 9 are also traversed by current aslong as the contact arms of relay 6 are connected with terminals 14 and14., because at this time the coils of these relays are connected inseries to the terminals 145 and 14' of relay 6. The tension between theterminals of these relays is equal to one third of the tension of thecircuit. The relays used in the first described arrangements musttherefore be constructed so that they do not act at tensions ran Eachgroup comprises the 95 which are much different from the tension of thesystem. This condition is avoided in the last described arrangement.

In the fourth illustrative embodiment which is shown by way of examplein Fig. 3 it is not necessary to provide a change over relay for eachincandescent lamp. The number of change overrelays is reduced to thealgebraic sum of all rows of lamps. In the example illustrated in which4 vertical and 3 horizontal rows are provided, there are 7 relaysnecessary therefore. Each of these relays 68 to 74 displaces byattracting an armature a rod disposed along the corresponding row oflamps. The horizontal rods 75 to 77 carry movable pins 82 disposed atdistances apart which are equal to the horizontal distances of thelamps. The pins are pressed upward by springs 83. The vertical rods 78to 81 are provided with projections 84 corresponding to each lamp.

The pins 82 of the rods 75 to 77 are located so that when an armature ofone of the relays 68 to 7 O is attracted the pins 82 of thecorresponding rod 75 to 77 are situated exactly below the projections 84of the rods 78 to 81. When thereafter one of the relays 71 to 74attracts its armature the projections 84 of the corresponding rod 78 to81 moves the before displaced corresponding pin 82 downward so that thepin pushes by its lower end against the switch 63. The switch is causedthereby to make contact with the springs 64. Thus a current flows fromthe main circuit over the contact springs 64, the switch 63. the pivot65 to the corresponding lamp and from the terminal 66 back to the maincircuit.

The connections between the lamp-board and the contact making device'85may be constructed so that there is provided a wire for each relay and acommon return wire. The construction is simplified by arranging adistributer 86 on the lamp board in the same manner as in the seconddescribed illustrative embodiment. The working of the distributer is thesame as described above.

Thecutting in of. any lamp is as follows: By means of the switch 88 andthe switch ing relay 87 the distributer 86 is switched in the desiredposition as described above. Then for example the lowest of the threecontacts 91 is pressed against the plate 92, whereafter the relay 70attracts its armature and displaces the rod 77 with the correspondingpins 82 toward the left. The pins 82 become situated thereby below thelowest projections of the rods 78 to 81. By pressing thereafter thecontact 90 three times against the plate 92. in the position ofdistributer shown in Fig. 3 the relay 72 attracts -its armature andmoves thereby the vertical rod 79 downward. The lowest projection 84 ofthis rod presses hereby the corresponding pin 82 of the rod 77 downward,which pin by its lower end presses the lever switch 63 between thesprings 64. Hereby a current flows from the main circuit to the lamp 6passing the contact spring 64, the lever 63, the pivot 65, the lamp andits terminal 66. After removing the contacts 90 and 91 from the plate 92the rods 77 and 79 are moved back to their initial positions by means ofthe springs 93 and 94 without opening the switch 63. In order to insertother lamps in circuit the described operation is repeated. If the lampsare to be extinguished again the relay 95 is excited by closing theswitch 89 which attracts its armature 96. The armature fixedly carries alever 97 which by its lower end presses the bracket 98 toward the left.The projections 99 of the bracket are moved against arms 67 secured tothe switches 63 whereby all switches are moved in the position of restthat means switching-off position. After opening the .switch 89 therelay95 releases its armature with a single pole lever switch 119mounted on the back of its base. The lower arm of each switch is adaptedto connect the pivot 120 to the contact spring 121. The incandescentlamp is inserted between the pivot 120 and the terminal 122. The upperarm 123 of each switch 119 is mounted to be engaged by the correspondingpin 124 on the rods 125, which pins bv moving toward the left move allclosed switches into switching- The three operating relays 35 aremounted in a carriage 126 which is mounted on rollers 127 to move on therail 128. The rail is provided with several stops 129 which alwayscorrespond with a vertical row of lamps. The projection 130 of thestopping device 131 is mounted to engage one of the stops 129 wherebythe carriage is prevented from being moved toward the left by the actionof the weight 133. When the relay coil 34 of the stopping device istraversed by a current the projection 130 is attracted so that thecarriage 126 moves by the action of the weight 133 toward the left untilthe raised hook 132 moves against one of the stops 129. The hook thusprevents the carriage from moving forward more than one rowof lamps alsoif the current should be closed for a long time. When the relay coilbecomes currentless again, the stopping device 131 moves back in itsposition of rest and leans by its projection 130 against the next stop129. The stops 129 are located on the rail 128 so that in the positionof rest of the carriage the axes of rotation of the operating relays 35exactly correspond with the axes of the pivots 120 of the switches 119.The S-shaped armatures of the relays 35 each carry a lever 36 which isProvided with a pin 38 projecting through an arcuate slot 37 of thecarriage toward the switches 119. If any one of the operating relays 35is excited by a current the armature of the relay is turned clockwise.The pin 38 moves against the end of the lever switch 119'so that theswitch makes contact with the contact spring 121. currentless again, thelever 36 of the armature moves back in the vertical position, but thelever switch 119 remains closed.

The operating relays are selectively excited from the contact makingdevice 39 by pressing one or several contacts 40 against the contactplate 41. By closing the switch 42 the relay coil 34 is traversed by acurrent. Strained bare wires 43 and contact brushes 44 may be providedto electrically connect the fixed contact making device 39 to theapparatus on the carriage 126. In Fig. 4 the two upper operating relaysare shown to be currentless, while the lowest relay is shown excited.The latter is fed from the connection 45 of the main circuit. Thecurrent traverses the contact plate 41, the lowest of the three contacts40, the topmost of the wires 43, the corresponding brush 44, the coil,the lowest of the wires 43 and flows tothe second connection 46 of themain circuit. If the carriage is to be moved an amount equal to thedistance of another row of lamps, the switch 42 is closed so thatv ofthe coil 48. The motor rotates the pulley 51 by means of su table gears.A. rope 52 is secured to the pulley and carries the weight 133. The ropeis also fixed at 53 to the carriage 126. The weight 133 is raised by therotation of the motor and the carriage simultaneously moved toward theright.

Near the right end of the rail 128 the rollers 127 are caused to moveagainst the arm 54 of a double-armed lever. By the weight of thecarriage 126 the lever is When the operating relay 35 becomes turned sothat its second arm 55 moves a rod 56 toward the left. The main switch57 is opened thereby so that the main circuit is opened and all lampsare extinguished. In the meantime the rod 56 moves against the disks 58on the rails 125 and presses them toward the left. The pins 124 moveagainst the levers 123 of the switches 119 which are in switching-onposition and move these switches back in the position of rest that meansswitching-ofi' position. Thereafter the rod 56 moves against the head 59of the switching rod 60 whereby the switch 49 is opened. The weight 133preponderates and moves the carriage 126 toward the left until theprojection 130 of the stopping device 131 strikes against the first stop129. During this motion of the carriage 126 the armature of thecurrentless motor is turned. As soon as the rollers- 127 have left thearm 54 the rods 125 are moved by the springs 61 toward the right and themain switch 57 is closed by means of the rod 56. The whole systembecomes automatically hereby ready for operating again. The main switch57 is provided only to save the contacts of the switches 119 and thesprings 121. The main switch 57 must be opened therefore before theswitches 119 are opened by the rods 125. The main switch if desired caneasily be prov vided with the well-known spark-extinguishing devices.The operation of the system is not changed thereby.

In many cases it is desirable to use a rotating lamp board ofcylindrical shape while the carriage 126 is fixed as shown in Flg. 8.The contact wires 43 are omitted in this case but the main wires are tobe connected to the rotating board by means of slip rings 135. Theoperation is the same as described with reference to Fig. 4. By closingswitch 42 (Fig. 8) the part 130 of pawl 131 is attracted so that thelamp board 136 moves under the influenceof weight 133 until the pawl 131again engages a stop 129. By selectively operating one or more of thecontacts 40 on plate 41, one or more of the relays 35 are energized tooperate their adjacent switches. If the weight 133 has descended nearlyto its limit, the motor 50 is set in operation by closing switch 47 toraise it, until the switch 4.7 is again opened. The motor and windingdrum 51 actuated thereby are prevented from being rotated in a reversedirection by the weight, by a pawl 137 engaging the drum 51.

In order to still more reduce the number of connections between the lampboard and the contact making device these connections may be led to adistributer in the manner as in the first described example whichdistributer can be operated by only two wires. The five describedexamples are adapted to suit very difierent conditions. When seconnectedto eachapparatus for bringing it into its working condition, means forcontrolling said aforementioned means, a switch closer at the receivingstatlon, means for moving said switch closer into a position where itmay control the means for bringing the selected apparatus of one line ofthe first group of intersecting lines of said system into their workingcondition, a single source of electric energy, a sending station havingfirstly a contact making apparatus for selecting the apparatus of thesecond group havingas many'contacts as there are lines belonging to thesecond group of said system of intersecting lines, and secondly acircuit closer controlling the moving means of the switch closer, acircuit comprising said source of electric energy and said means formoving said switch closer and also comprising said circuit closer, asecond circuit comprising said source of electric energy, said contactmaking apparatus said switch closer and said means for bringing eachapparatus into its working position.

2. In an electric installation for selecting certain apparatus out of alarge number of apparatus, a receiving station, said large number ofapparatus being arranged at points of intersection of a systemconsisting of two groups of intersecting lines arranged at saidreceiving station, a switch electrically connected to each of saidapparatus,

means for actuating said switches, a switch closer at the receivingstation able to control at once the actuating means of said switchesbelonging to the apparatus of a line of the first'group, means formoving said switchv closer into a position where it may control themeans actuating the switches belonging to the apparatus of one line ofthe first group of said system of intersecting lines, a single sourceof'electric energy, a sending station.

having a contact making apparatus for selecting the apparatus of a lineof the second group having as many contacts as there are lines belongingto the second group of said system of intersecting lines, and a circuitcloser controlling the moving means of the switch closer, a circuitcomprising said source of electric energy, said switchlng relay and saidcircuit closer, and a second circuit comprising said source of electricenergy, said contact-making apparatus, said switch closer and said meansfor actuating said switches of each apparatus and the apparatusconnected thereto.

3. In an electric installation for selective operation of certainapparatus of a large number of apparatus, a receiving station, saidlarge number of apparatus being ar ranged at points of intersection of asystem consisting of two groups of intersecting lines arranged at saidreceiving station, a switch for each of said apparatus arranged inseries with the latter, means for actuating said switches, a switchcloser at the receiving station able to control at once one, some, orall the actuating means of said switches belonging to the apparatus of aline of the first group, a switchingrelay for stepping said switchcloser forward into a position where it is in connection with the meansactuating the switches belonging to the apparatus of one line ofthefirst group of said system of intersecting lines, a single source ofelectric energy, a main circuit leading from said source of electricenergy over said switches to said number of apparatus, a sending stationhaving a contact making apparatus for selecting the apparatus of a lineof the second group having as many contacts as there are lines belongingto the second group of said system of intersecting lines, and a circuitcloser controlling the switching relay, an auxiliary circuit comprisingsaid source of electric energy, said switching relay and said circuitcloser, and a second auxiliary circuit comprising said source ofelectric energy, said contact making apparatus, saidswitch closer andsaid means for actuating said switches of each apparatus.

4. In an el'ctric installation for selective operation of a large numberof apparatus, a sending station having a contact making apparatus, areceiving station, said large number of "apparatus being arranged atpoints of intersection, ofa system consisting of two groups ofintersecting lines arranged at said receiving station, a source ofelectric energy, a switch closer at the receiving station, a relay onsaid switch closer for each source of electric energy with said meansfor moving said switch closer and comprising said circuit closer, asecond circuit connecting said source of electric energy with saidcontact making apparatus and comprislng said switch closer, said contactmaking apparatus having as many contacts as there are lines belonging tothe first group of said I system of intersecting lines to selectively or5. In an electric installation for selective operation of a large numberof apparatus, a sending station having a contact making apparatus, areceiving station, said large number of apparatus being arranged atpoints of intersection of a system consisting of two groups ofintersecting lines arranged at said receiving station, a switch for eachof said apparatus in connection with the latter, a source of electricenergy, a main circuit leading from said source of electric energy oversaid switches to said largenumber of apparatus, a' switch closer at thereceiving station, a closing relay thereon for each row of the firstgroup of said system of intersecting lines for closing the switches ofsaid apparatus, means for moving said switch closer forward into aposition where it may actuate the switches belonging to the apparatus ofone line of the second group of said system of intersecting lines, arelay controlling the moving of the switches, a circuit closer at thesending station, an auxiliary circuit connecting said source of electricenergy with said relay and comprising said circuit closer, a secondauxiliary circuit connecting said source of electric energy with saidcontact making apparatus and including-said switch closer, said contactmaking apparatus having as many contacts as there are lines belonging tothe first group of said system of intersecting lines to selectively orsimultaneously operate the switches of the apparatus on a line of thesecond mentioned group of said system of lines.

6. In an electric installation for selective operation of a large numberof apparatus, a

sending station having a contact making apparatus, a receiving station,said large number of apparatus being arranged at points of intersectionof a system consisting of two groups of intersecting lines arranged atsaid receiving station, a switch for each of said apparatus inconnection with the latter, a source of electric energy, a main circuitleading from said source of electric energy over said switches to saidlarge number of apparatus, a switch closer at the receiving station, aclosing relay thereon for each row of the first group of said system ofintersecting lines for closing the switches of said a paratus, means formoving said switch closer relatively to the apparatus into a positionwhere it may actuate the switches belonging to the apparatus of a lineof the second group of said system of intersecting lines, a relaycontrolling the moving of said switch closer, a circuit closer at thesending station, an auxiliary circuit connecting said source of electricenergy with said relay and comprising said circuit closer, a secondauxiliary circuit connecting said source of electric energy withsaidcontact making apparatus and comprising said switch closer, said contactmaking apparatus having as many contacts as there are lines belonging tothe first group of said system of intersecting lines, thus beingcapableof selectively or simultaneously operating the switches of the apparatusvon a line of the second mentioned group of said system of lines.

In testimony whereof "I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ARNQLD SCHMID.

Witnesses ERNST Fxsonnn, CARL Gunmen.

